Controversial godman Swami Amrit Chaitanya, against whom Interpol had issued a look out notice for allegedly swindling about Rs 45 lakh from a Keralite woman in the Gulf, has been taken into custody.

The godman was picked up late on Monday night along with his driver Thomas and is being questioned by top police officials, police said.

Amrit Chaitanya alias Santosh Madhavan [Images] was taken into custody based on a complaint by Serafin Edwin, a Keralite woman, who had alleged that the self-styled godman had cheated her of Rs 45 lakh.

His anticipatory bail application will come up before Kerala [Images] high court on Tuesday. In his petition, he claimed that he was totally innocent and allegations against him were baseless.